World Time Timepiece

Abstract

A wearable timepiece having at least one rotateable elongated member, preferably a ring, under the dial, having a plurality of time zone indications thereon, wherein a controller controls the rotation of the at least one elongated member and causes an indicator to rotate in response to a selected time zone indication positioned in a viewing window in the dial, wherein the indicator points to indicia on the dial assembly that indicates to a user the time indicated by the selected time zone indication.

What claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wearable timepiece of the type wherein time zone information is conveyed by the use of at least one indicator rotateable about an axis, the wearable timepiece comprising a dial assembly having a viewing window, wherein the dial assembly has a front side and a back side, and wherein the at least one indicator is positioned on the front side of the dial assembly, the wearable timepiece comprising:
 a time zone indication assembly, positioned on the back side of the dial, comprising:
 a first rotateable elongated member having a plurality of time zone indications thereon; 
 a second rotateable elongated member that overlies at least part of the first elongated member, wherein the second elongated member has a plurality of time zone indications thereon, 
 wherein at least one time zone indication on the first rotateable elongated member is positionable in the viewing window and at least one time zone indication on the second rotateable elongated member is positionable in the viewing window; 
   an actuation assembly for at least:
 rotating the first elongated member in at least one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction and rotating the second elongated member in at least one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction, wherein rotation of the first elongated member in the one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions causes a subset of the plurality of time zone indications thereon to be positionable in the viewing window and rotation of the second elongated member in one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions causes a subset of the plurality of time zone indications thereon to be positionable in the viewing window; wherein rotation of the first rotateable elongated member and the second rotateable elongated member causes different time zone indications on at least one of the first rotateable elongated member and second elongated member to be positionable in the viewing window; and 
 rotating the at least one indicator in at least one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction; and 
   a controller, operatively coupled to the actuation assembly, for controlling the rotation of the first and second elongated members and for causing the at least one indicator to rotate in response to a selected time zone indication positioned in the viewing window;   wherein the indicator points to indicia on the dial assembly that indicates o a user the time indicated by the selected time zone indication.   
     
     
         2 . The wearable timepiece as claimed in  claim 1 , Wherein the overlying of the second rotateable elongated member over the first rotateable elongated member causes time zone indications of the first rotateable elongated member positioned in the viewing window to be non-viewable in the viewing window;
 whereby the position of the second rotateable elongated member over the first rotateable elongated member in the viewing window causes the viewability of differing time zone indications in the viewing window.   
     
     
         3 . The wearable timepiece as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the actuation assembly comprises:
 a first assembly comprising:
 a first gearing assembly, comprising one or more gears, being meshingly coupled to the first rotateable elongated member so that the rotation of the one or more gears causes the rotation of the first rotateable elongated member; and 
 a first stepper motor comprising a rotor, wherein the rotor of the stepper motor is rotateably coupled to the at least one or more gears of the first gearing assembly, wherein the rotation of the rotor causes the rotation of the first rotateable elongated member; and 
   a second assembly comprising:
 a second gearing assembly, comprising one or more gears, being meshingly coupled to the second rotateable elongated member so that the rotation of the one or more gears causes the movement of the second rotateable elongated member; and 
 a second stepper motor comprising a rotor, wherein the rotor of the stepper motor is rotateably coupled to the at least one or more gears of the second gearing assembly, wherein the rotation of the rotor causes the movement of the second rotateable elongated member. 
   
     
     
         4 . The wearable timepiece as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the time zone indications on the respective rotateable elongated members that are not positioned within the viewing window are not viewable in the viewing window. 
     
     
         5 . The wearable timepiece as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the viewing window is dimensioned to permit the viewability of at least three (3) time zone indications at any one time. 
     
     
         6 . The wearable timepiece as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the time zone indications on the respective rotateable elongated members that are not positioned within the viewing window are not viewable through the dial assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The wearable timepiece as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first rotateable elongated member and the second rotateable elongated member is a ring. 
     
     
         8 . The wearable timepiece as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the viewing window is dimensioned to permit the viewability of at least three (3) time zone indications at any one time. 
     
     
         9 . The wearable timepiece as claimed in  claim 1 , including a selector, operatively coupled to the controller, the actuation of which causes at least one of the first and second elongated members to rotate in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction so that a particular time zone indication is positionable in the viewing window and selectable. 
     
     
         10 . The wearable timepiece as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the controller, after the particular time zone indication is selected, causes the indicator to rotate in one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction to indicate to a user the time in the region indicated by the selected time zone indicator. 
     
     
         11 . The wearable timepiece as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the timepiece is a wristwatch. 
     
     
         12 . A wearable timepiece of the type wherein time zone information is conveyed by the use of at least one indicator rotateable about an axis, the wearable timepiece comprising a dial assembly having a viewing window, wherein the dial assembly has a front side and a back side, and wherein the at least one indicator is positioned on the front side of the dial assembly, the wearable timepiece comprising:
 a time zone indication assembly, positioned on the back side of the dial, comprising a rotateable elongated member having a plurality of time zone indications thereon, wherein at least one time zone indications on the rotateable elongated member is positionable in the viewing window;   an actuation assembly for at least (i) rotating the elongated member in at least one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction, wherein rotation of the elongated member in the one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions causes a subset of the plurality of time zone indications thereon to be positionable in the viewing window, wherein rotation of the rotateable elongated member causes different time zone indications on the rotateable elongated member to be positionable in viewing window; and (ii) rotating the at least one indicator in at least one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction; and   a controller, operatively coupled to the actuation assembly, for controlling the rotation of the elongated member and for causing the at least one indicator to rotate in response to a selected time zone indication positioned in the viewing window;   wherein the indicator points to indicia on the dial assembly that indicates to a user the time indicated by the selected time zone indication.   
     
     
         13 . On a wearable timepiece, a method of indicating a time in a selected time zone, wherein the wearable timepiece is of the type wherein time zone information is conveyed by the use of at least one indicator rotateable about an axis, the wearable timepiece comprising a dial assembly having a viewing window, wherein the dial assembly has a front side and a back side, and wherein the at least one indicator is positioned on the front side of the dial assembly, the wearable timepiece further comprising a time zone indication assembly, positioned on the back side of the dial, comprising at least one rotateable elongated member having a plurality of time zone indications thereon, wherein at least one time zone indication on the at least one rotateable elongated member is positionable in the viewing window; an actuation assembly for at least (i) rotating the at least one elongated member in at least one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction, wherein rotation of the at least one elongated member causes a subset of the plurality of time zone indications thereon to be positionable in the viewing window and rotation of the at least one rotateable elongated member causes different time zone indications on the at least one rotateable elongated member to be positionable in the viewing window; and (ii) rotating the at least one indicator in at least one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction; and a controller, operatively coupled to the actuation assembly, for controlling the rotation of the at least one elongated member and for causing the at least one indicator to rotate in response to a selected time zone indication positionable in the viewing window; wherein the method comprises the steps of:
 rotating the at least one elongated member until a desired time zone indication is positioned in the viewing window;   selecting the desired time zone indication; and   causing the at least one indicator to rotate in response to the selected time zone indication positioned in the viewing window;   wherein the at least one indicator points to indicia on the dial assembly that indicates to a user the time indicated by the selected time zone indication.